The use of computing devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, tablet computers, portable media players, and the like, has increased significantly in recent years. As the use of these computing devices has increased, the need for increased accessibility for people with impaired vision has also increased. For example, low-vision users, blind users, dyslexic users or others with learning disabilities, or even sighted users who simply want or need to use a device without looking at the device during operation can benefit from screen reading programs that audibly read text or describe items being displayed on the device.
Traditional techniques for starting a screen reading program typically rely on using a physical or virtual button. However, there are times when it is advantageous to employ alternative techniques for starting the screen reading program, for example, when there are no physical buttons on the device.